I remember when my husband and I had decided to sell our home after thirty-seven years, and move with our daughter and her family, there was a lot of preparation that had to be done. An inspector had to come to see if the house was in good order to be sold; and if not, he told us what we had to have done to make it the way he felt it should be. As far as we could see, it was a good house, in good condition with many upgrades done inside and outside. But low and behold, the inspector found some things that needed to be changed! Even though the roof was not leaking, he wanted tar on the roof. We had to have a slop in the kitchen floor jacked up; a slop which had been there since the original owner had the basement entrance changed from the kitchen to the dining room: and it was quite unnoticeable.
In Colossians the third chapter, verses 1-9, 13, & 14, Paul is writing to the church in Colossae admonishing them to get their "house" in order, in preparation for their moving day. He was letting them know that this was not their final home; that there was going to be a moving day and the Holy Ghost, Who is the Inspector, is checking somethings that need to be changed. Their roof needed some reinforcement, so they were told to keep their minds stayed on Jesus; think on things above, spiritual things; don't get caught up in the things of this world. Disobedience can make an awful slop in your life; jack it up with the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was obedient even unto death. Those changes and repairs that the inspector told us to have done cost us money; and I really squawked about having to do them, because I didn't feel it was necessary to do all that he wanted done. Getting our spiritual house in order is going to cost us and we don't always want to pay the price. But the Holy Ghost says it is necessary for our moving preparation.
I had no idea we had accumulated so much stuff that we couldn't take with us. My husband was in the hospital by this time so I couldn't depend on him to help me. And we will find that as we prepare to move out of this life to our final destination, there will be people who we thought we could depend on, who will be totally unavailable. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2. Even though we know we will be moving, we don't know when the settlement date will be. We just have to be ready! I knew our settlement date and it took awhile before I could start packing up. I had so much stuff to get rid of, I didn't know where to start: furniture, dishes, clothing, and a lot of "trash" in the basement. I had to make sure I separated the good stuff from the trash. God says, "Be ye holy for I Am holy." 1 Peter 1:16. If there is anything in our life that doesn't represent the holiness of God, we must get rid of it. There may even be some good things, but if it is cluttering our life and keeping us too busy to do what God wants us to do, get rid of it.
Moving preparation is hard work but we must stick with it until it is finished. Jesus said he that endures until the end shall be saved. Allow the Holy Spirit to inspect your house and do whatever He says you need to do, in preparation for your moving day. "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I Am, there ye may be also." John 14:2-3.
